Separable fastener



Nov. 24, 1931. I PRENTlCE 1;832,945

SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed March 1, 1930 Patented 7 Nov. 24, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT. OFFICE QEOBGE E. PBENTIGE, OI? BER-L111, CONNECTICUTSEPARABLE EASTENER Application filed March 1, 1930. Serial -No. 432,338.

tape or stringer, the units of one series having projecting tongues orhooks which enter suitable sockets in the units of the opposite series,each socket being defined partly by the wall of the unit and partly bythe edge of the enclosed stringer. In the Judson. fas-' tener thetongues or hooks thus directly engage the edge of the stringer of theopposite series, and this tends to cause wear and roughening of thestringer. Moreover, the

, tongues and sockets are of such shape that the fastener is not asfiexible as could be desired, and the units must be made of unduly heavymaterial and of undesirable thickness 2 from front to rear in order toinsure a firm grip on the. edge of the stringer. In the Judsonconstruction the units are of two distinct types, one type having thesocket and the other type having the tongue for engagement 39 therewith,which is a disadvantage from the manufacturing standpoint, and the unitsare of such shape that when out from sheet material, a large percentageof waste results.

I am aware that various attempts have been made to improve upon theJudson type of fastener, but do not know of any fastener employing sheetmetal units in which all of the above noteddefects have beensuccessfully overcome. For example, as respects certain methods ofmanufacture now in use,

a wastage of as much as 75% of the sheet material results. 1

In a'ccordancewith the present invention I provide a fastener unit whichmay consist of relatively thin sheet material, but which at the sametime is capable of gripping the edge of the stringer securely andpermanently which, in a preferred embodiment, provides protection forthe inner edge of the stringer so that the tongue or retaining elementof the The patent to.

cooperating unit does not wear or abraid the stringer (being receivedwithin a socket having'rigid walls); which provides? tongue and socketof such shape that the fastener is flexible when the opposed series ofunits are joined; which may be used with sliders of.

usual construction which is not unduly thick so as to cause a bulkyseam; and which may be made from sheet material without appreciablewaste.

In the accompanying drawings I have il'- lustrated certain desirableembodiments fof my invention by way of example, as 'wellias certainsteps which'may usefully be employed in'the productionof this improvedfastener unit,and in the drawings: a Fig. 1 is a fragmentary frontelevation to large scale illustratin a fastener comprising unitsembodying my invention and showing an actuating slider of conventionalform, in

section;

Fig. completed unit, but without the stringer;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mode of cutting sheetmaterial without waste to produce blanks for use in making the improvedfastener;

1 is a perspective view showing a ig. 3 is a plan view of such a blanktolarger scale;

Fig. 4. is an edge view, to smaller scale, the blank of Fig. 3; y

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 illustrate various steps in the process ofbending the blank to form the complete unit;

Fig. 10 is a view showing a blank of substantially the same shape asthat of F1g. 3; Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 are views showing a desirablesequence of steps in forming the fastener unit of slightly modifiedconstruction, starting with the blank of Fig. 10; and Fig. 15 is afragmentary section to large scale illustrating one type of materialwhich may, if desired, be employed in making fastener units.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the numerals 1and'2 designate pieces of flexible material such as the tapes orstringers commonly employed in devices' of this character for attachingthe fastener units to the edges of the article having the beaded edges 3to which are secured the fastener units 4. A slider 5, which may be ofany usual type having convergent channels 6 for the rece tion andguidance of the opposed series 0 fastener elements, is mounted to slidelongitudinally of the series for moving the units into and out ofengagement in usual manner.

Referring to Fig. 1*, a preferred embodiment of my invention consists ofa unitary piece of sheet metal bent to form a more or less rectangularstructure having the wall 7 and the substantially parallel, spaced sidewalls 8 and 9. For convenience in description I shall hereinafter referto the wall 7 as the front wall, this being the surface of the fastenerunit which is opposed to the units of the opposite series, althoughwhen'in actual use one of the walls 8 or 9 would ordinarily beconsidered as the front wall. As here shown, the front wall 7 issubstantially flat and perpendicular to the walls 8 and 9, although Icontemplate that the wall 7 may, if desired, be curved either convexlyor concavely, or otherwise suitably shaped for cooperation with theopposed units. The wall 7 is 'provided, as here shown, at its lower edgewith an integral extension or projection 10 which constitutes a tongue,hook, or retaining element for engagement with a unit of the op-- positeseries. In referring to this hook memer 10 as projecting from the loweredge of the wall 7, I employ the term lower in a relative sense only,since under various conditions of use the hook may not always projectvertically down.

The material forming the walls 8 and 9 is bent at the rear ends of saidwalls, as shown at 11 and 12, preferably to form open bends, thematerial then extending inwardly, as shown at 13 and 14, to form jawsfor engaging the beaded edge of the stringer. As shown, these jaws 13and 1e diverge in a forward direction and their forward extremitiesarebent to provide the shield members 15 and 16 which, with the jawmembers 13 and 14, define a pocket or recess 17 in which the beaded edgeof the stringer is disposed. By reason of the open bends at 11 and 12.the entrance 18 to this recess forms a restricted neck through which itis practically impossible to pull the thickened or beaded edge of thestringer. The members 15 and 16 also cooperate with the front wall 7 andthe forward portions of the side walls 8 and 9 to form a socket 19 ofsubstantially rectangular section for the reception of the hook member10 of the cooperating unit of the opposite series. The members 15 and 16thus separate the cooperating hook member from the edge of the stringerand shield the latter from abrasion and wear.

In constructing this improved unit I may employ any suitable. sheetmaterial which i may, for example, be metal, or metal combined withother materials, or in fact, any substance capable of retaining itsshape permanently after bending. In Fig. 15 I have indicated a materialwhich might well be used for the purpose, consisting of a base sheet Mof strong, stiff material such as metal. and a coating or covering layerC, which may, for example, be a suitable enamel, a phenolcondensationproduct, a lacquer, a rubber compound, or, in fact, any suitable coatingsubstance adapted to rotect or ornament the basematerial, and wh1ch maybe caused to adhere firmly and permanently to the base material in anyroper way, as by the interposition of a unlting layer U. This sheetmaterial, of whatever kind, may now be cut into blanks 21 (Fig. 2) ofthe shape more particularly shown in Fig. 3. Each blank, as shown,comprises an elongate trapezoidal body portion 22 having the long base23 and the short base 24, and from the central part of its short base24, a trapezoidal hook-forming member 25 projects, the longer base ofthe member 25 being integrally united with the body member 22. As shown,the longer base of the projection 25 is approximately oneseventh thelength of the longer base 23 of the body portion, although thisproportion is not essential, but it will be noted that the altitude ofthe projection 25 is substantially equal to the altitude or transversewidth of the body portion 22, and that corresponding angles, as forexample the angles A and A, of the projection and body portion are equalto each other. Blanks of this general shape may, as indicated in Fig. 2,be cut from sheet material with no waste whatever.

Having produced a blank as above described, this blank is now bent (asshown in Fig. 5) transversely along lines such as 26 and 27 (Fig. 3) toform the shield members 15 and 16. The blank is also bent, but in reverse direction, along the transverse lines 28 and 29 to produce theopen bends 11 and 12. thereby defining the aws 13 and 14 and the rearends of the walls 8 and 9, the open bends at 11 and 12 greatlystiffening the unit. The

blank also is bent transversely at opposite edges of the base of theprojection 25 to define the junctions of the side walls 8 and 9 with thefront wall 7. These several bending operations may be performed in anydesired sequence, although the sequence indicated in Figs. 4 to 9 ispreferred. When the blank has been brought to the shape shown in Fig. 8,the beaded edge of the stringer is introduced between the jaw members 13and 14,

and then as the walls 8 and 9 are brought into substantially parallelrelation the beaded edge is securely jammed between the jaw members sothat it is, to some extent, deformed and crushed, and is thus verysecurely retained by the jaws so that it can not be no i series. Byreason of the substantially rec-' tangular sha e ofthese units, theymaybe employedwit slidersofatypecommonlyused at present, and by reasonof the trapezoidal sha e of the hookmembers, they are able to rocslightly in a lateral direction in their receiving sockets, so that thefastener as a whole is flexible and capable of bending withoutdisengagement of the interlocking units. 'As already pointed out, theseunits ma be' made without waste from sheet materlal by a simple seriesof bending operations such as may be produced by proper dies, and thusthe units may be formed very cheaply and with great rapidity and may besecured to the edge of the fabric by hand or by the use of automaticmechanism of simple type.

Referring to Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive, the blank 21 is bent transverselyto form the jaws 13 and 14 and the extermities of these jaws are thenangularly bent to form the inner members 15 and 16. In this construc-,

' by the unit shown in Fig. 1*, for example.

While the specific construction and the process steps above described indetail are desirable, I wish it to be understood that the invention isnot necessarily limited to all of the particulars of such constructionor process, but that various changes including omission of elements orprocess steps, as well as the substitution of equivalents, may be madewithout departing from the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.- I claim;

1. A fastener unit consisting of a single 7 elongate piece of sheetmetal having substantially parallel upper and lower edges with a hookmember projecting from the central part of one of said edges forengagement-with a cooperating fastener unit the metal being so bent thatthe part from which e hook projects constitutes the front wal of a.socket for the reception of the hook member of a cooperating fastenerunit of like construction,

and that those parts of the strip at opposite sides of said centralportiondefine side and rear walls of said socket andvalso define aseparate pocket for the reception of the edge of a stringer, said ockethaving a restricted neck to accommo ate the material of the stringer.

' 2. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, saidunit consisting of sheet material and comprising a front wall and wallsspaced to receive between them the beaded edge of the stringer and alsothe retaining element of a cooperating unit of similar construction, andmeans integral with the respective walls and disposed between the latterfor embarcing the beaded edge of the stringer without penetration of thelatter and means comprising parts having free extermities collectivelyacting to shield the edge of the stringer from the retaining element.

3. A fastener unit consisting of a single elongate piece of sheetmaterial having its upper and lower edges disposed in parallel planesand having projecting from one of said edges a hook member forengagement with a cooperating fastener unit of similar construction, andparts bent to define a socket for the reception of the hook member ofsuch cooperating fastener unit and also defining a smooth walled recessfor the reception of the edge of a stringer, certain of said partshaving free extremities collectively constituting shielding meansior theedge of the stringer to protect it from injury by the hook member of thecooperating unit.

4. A fastener unit of sheet material for use in separable fasteners.said unit comprising a front wall and substantially parallel spaced.

side walls integrally united therewith, and cooperating jaws, onesecured to the rear edge of each of the side walls, said jaws extendinginwardly between the side walls of the unitand defining a pocket for theedge of a fabric stringer. said jaws being free at their innerextremities.

.5. A fastener unit of subtantially rectangular contour consisting ofaunitary piece of sheet material bent toform front and side walls, thefront wall having an integral hook extending therefrom, the materialconstituting the side walls being bent at the rear ends of said walls toform smoothly rounded clamping jaws for engaging and retaining the edgeportion of a stringer the material of the respective jaws beingcontinued forwardly between the side walls and forming a shield for thestringer and constituting the rear wall of a hook receiving socket.

6.v A fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unit comprisinga single piece of sheet material shaped to provide a front wall, spacedside walls integrally united to the lateral edges respectively of thefront wall, the side and front walls being of sub-.

I stantially the same height, and a hook intogrally united to the loweredge of the front wall and disposed in the same plane with the latterthe hook projecting from said edge to a distance substantially equal tothe depth of the front wall.

7. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, saidunit consisting of sheetmaterial and having spaced side walls andindependent jaw members secured respectively to the rear ends of the twoside walls and extending inwardly between the side walls, said jawshaving free inner extremities, the jaws diverging forwardly to provide arecess relatively wide at its forward part for the reception of the beadof the stringer, and relatively narrow at its rear part to preventwithdrawal of the head from the recess. a

8. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a beaded edge, saidunit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising spaced sidewalls having integral continuations thereof bent to extend inwardlybetween the side walls to form stringer retaining jaws, said jaws havingspaced inner extremities, said jaws being spaced further apart at theirfrontends than at their rear ends whereby to admit and retain the beadededge of the strin er between them.

9. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a head at its edge,said unit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising spacedside walls, the material at the rear end of each side wall turninginwardly with an open bend to form a retaining jaw, said jaws being freeat their inner ends, the two jaws diverging to provide a bead receiv ingrecess having a narrow neck.

It). A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge,saidunit consisting of an integral pieceof sheet material and comprisinga front wall and spaced substantially parallel side walls erpendicularto the front wall, the materia at the rear edge of the side wallsturning inwardly and then extending forwardlv to form jaws defining abead receiving recess having a narrow entrance neck, the front wallhaving{ an integral extension. constituting a hoo for engagement with acooperating fastener unit.

11. A fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unit comprisingfront and side walls, jaw members extending inwardly and forwardly fromthe rear ends of the side walls, said-jaw members being shaped to retain the edge of a strin er disposed between them, the inner ends 0 thejaws being free and being spaced from g the front wall of the unit toprovide a socket for the reception of the retaining element of acooperating unit, and a hook attached to the front wall. 12. A fastenerunited for use with a stringer having a bead at itsedge, said unitconsisting of an integral piece of sheet-material and comprising a frontwall and side walls, the side walls being spaced apart to admit betweenthem the beaded edge of the stringer, the rear portions of the sidewalls turning inwardly toward each other and having extensions directedforwardly in divergent relation to define a pocket having restrictedentrance passage through which the bead can not be withdrawn.

13. A fastener unit, for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge,said unit consisting of a piece of sheet material and comprising a frontwall and spaced side walls, the material at the rear end of each sidewall turning inwardly with an open bend to form a retaining jaw, the twojaws diverging toward the front of the unit, each jaw having a shieldmember at its forward end, said aws with their shield members defining arecess for the reception of the beaded edge of the stringer, the shieldmembers with the front and side walls of the unit defining a socket forthe reception of the retaining element of a cooperating unit.

14:. A fastener unit for use with a stringer having a bead at its edge,said unit consisting of sheet material and comprising front and sidewalls, the material at the rear ends of the side walls turning inwardlyand then extending forwardly to form jaws defiining a bead receivingrecess, the forward extremities of said jaws being directed toward eachother to form shields for the bead disposed in said recess, and beingspaced from the front wall of the unit to define a socket for thereception of the retaining element of a cooperating unit.

15. A fastener unit for use in separablefasteners, said unit comprisinga piece of sheet material having an elognate trapezoidal body portionhaving substantially straight and parallel upper and lower edges and ahook member of trapezoidal shape having its longer base integrallyunited to the central part of one of the longer edges of the bodyportion, said hook member being disposed substantially in the plane ofthe central part of the body portion. the body portion being benttransversely to form a socket for the reception of'the hook member of acooperating unit and to provide parts adapted to embrace and retain theedge portion of a flexible stringer and to protect said edge fromcontact with the book of a cooperating unit.

- 16. A fastener of'the class described comprising opposed series offastener units, each series being mounted upon a flexible stringerhaving a bead-at its edge, all of the units including those of bothseries'being substanthe opposite series, said sheet material being sobent as to provide parts defining an enclosure for the reception of thebeaded edge of the stringer andanother enclosure for the reception ofthe hook member of a cooperating unit, said parts including jaws soconstructed and arranged as snugly to embrace and retain the edge of thestringer without penetration of the latter, and to shield said edge fromthe hook member of the cooperating unit.

17. Av fastener unit for use in separable fasteners, said unitcomprising a piece of sheet material of elongate trapezoidal shapehaving a trapezoidal projection integrally united to the central part ofthe shorter base of the body portion, the altitude of the projectionbeing substantially equal to the altitude of the body portion, saidprojection constituting a hook for engagement with a cooperatingfastener unit, the body portion being bent transversely to form a socketfor the reception of the hook of a cooperating unit and to provide partswhich embrace and retain the edge of a fabric stringer.

18. A fastener unit for use in a separable fastener comprising a pieceof sheet material having an elongate trapezoidal body portion with atrapezoidal projection integrally united at its longer base to thecentral part of the shorter base of the body portion, said projectionconstituting a hook for engagement with the cooperating fastener unit,the body portion being bent transversely at points spaced from its endsto provide opposite jaws adapted to receive the edge of a stringerbetween them, the ends of the body portion extendingforwardly beyond thejaws and forming the rear wall of ,a socket which receives the hook ofthe cooperatin unit.

- Signed by me at Berlin, @onn, this twentyseventh day of February,1930.

GEORGE E. PRENTICE.

